Knitting machine of the links-links type



. June 1, 194 8.

H. H. HOLMES Er AL KNITTING MACHINE OF THE LINKS-LINKS TYPE 2 Sheets-Sheet l wwwm-Zz g ,fi'wenl'ors HEN Y liq/#020 fiOLMES,

Filed Nov. 15, 1946 AND ws WV,

June 1, 1948. H. H. HOLMES Er AL 2,442,412

KNITTING MACHINE OF THE LINKS-LINKS TYPE Filed Nov. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 1, i 1948 2,442,412 KNITTING MACHINE THE LINKS-LINKS Henry Harold Holmes and Albert Henry Widdow- Leicester, England, assignors to Wildt and Company Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Application November 15 In Great Britain 4 Claims. 1

This application is an improvement on United States Patent No. 2,366,405. According to the invention disclosed in said earlier patent a knitting machine of the links-links type includes a series of individually movable elements, operatively associated with the sliders, and in conjunction with the said elements cam means adapted to operate on all of them seriatim at a transfer location so as to effect deflection of the sliders outwards from their bed for the purpose of dividing sliders from needles in either of the needle beds during transfer of the said-needles to the opposite bed.

According to the present improvement or modification means for controlling the individually movable elements are provided which are adapted to cause the said elements to dwell suchwise that sliders, actuated to transfer their needles, automatically engage associated dwelling elements and in consequence of such engagement are deflected for the purpose of liberating the needles to be transferred.

While the present improvement or modification may be adapted in conjunction with elements and sliders of any one of the forms described and claimed in Patent No. 2,366,405, it is advantageously employed in association with looping elements which form part of the equipment of the machine and which perform movements in cooperation with the needles for intended purposes, e. g. as in stitch or loop formation. Consequently, in such an arrangement the controlling means are adapted to cause the elements to dwell, at the required time between their conventional movements, in such a position as to enable them to be engaged by sliders actuated during needle transfer to achieve the necessary deflection of the sliders.

A specific example of the invention applied to a circular links and links knitting machine of the superimposed rotary needle cylinder type will now be described with reference to the accom panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of so much of the said machine as is necessary to illustrate the final stage in the transference of a needle from the bottom cylinder to the top cylinder Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the corresponding stage in the transference of a needle from the top cylinder to the bottom cylinder of the machine,

Figure 3 is a detail side view representing one of the double-ended needles of the machine together with an associated inside 51 .11 a d a P 1946, Serial No. 710,074

November 19, 1945 tion of the corresponding bottom slider, illustrating the relative positions of these during normal running, i. e. when no transfer is taking place, as will be hereinafter described,

Figure .4 is a developed view of a portion of the cam system of the machine as seen from the inside of the cam boxes, including a layout of the sinker cam system, and

Figure 5 is a further vertical sectional view taken on the line V-V in Figure 4.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the bottom (plain) cylinder of the machine is indicated at I, and the superimposed top (rib) cylinder at 2. The reference numeral 3 indicates one of the double-ended latch needles, while the associated bottom and top sliders whereby the said needle is actuated for knitting and can be transferred from one cylinder to the other according to requirements are desig nated by the numerals 4 and 5 respectively.

As in the specific example of the invention described with reference to the drawings in Patent No. 2,366,405, each of the arcuate inside holding down sinkers (or web holders) 6 is provided with a lateral projection in the form of a lug l on one side of its hook-like operative endbeneath the nib 8 thereof. As usual the sinkers 6 operate slidably in tricks 9 in a "sinker brass l0 fitted within the upper end of the bottom cylinder l. Two sinker cam rings H and I2 are fixed one above the other, with a butt track T between them, in a sinker cup 13 fitted on the inside of the sinker brass In. As shown in Figure 4, the track I3 is shaped more or less in the usual way at the knitting location K, or each knitting location if there is more than one, to permit plain needles to draw their loops over the breasts of the sinkers 6, and where the needles 3 rise to clear, the sinkers are moved inwards by cam action so that their nibs 8 engage the knitted web and hold it down. Thus, at the location K, the customary butts M on the sinkers pass throu h a portion l5 of the track T which is so shaped that the sinkers are moved seriatim first outwards, at a point Hi just in advance of the plain stitch cam l1 and then inwards at a point corresponding to the cam portion l8 by means of which the bottom sliders 4 are actuated to cause corresponding plain needles to rise after drawing their loops.

In accordance with the present improvement or modification, the track T, after the deviation just described which moves the sinkers Bier. web

conventionally the case and thereis-afollowing opposite deviation of the track T at E9 before the uniform or straight segmenti'begins. iOn approaching the knitting location iK, or 'the next location, as the case may be, the track? reverts to the deviatory formation necessary to enable the sinkers 6 to function as primarily intended.

Thus, from a consideration of'Figure 4, it-will be realised that there is a uniform or straight seg ment of the track T extending right through (i.=e. before, at and after) each transfer location L. The specific oam system illustrated. includes a transfer cam 23 in the" top. .cam box-12!, transfer cams 22 and 23 in-the bottom cam box andagfurther top transfer cam 2 Immediately'after any slider has 'propela needlei'stoanextent suflicientfor it to be received by an empty sliderin'the opposed cylinder in the usual way; the back edge'oi the leading end of the slidersmadvanced; is engaged-'bythe lateral projection? on the adjacent sinker- 6- which latter at this-stage isrof course aircady in position to efiect outward zideflection of said advanced slider. In thistmanner the'slider is liberated from 'the appropriatehook :of: the transferred needle.

Thus, .in'Figure 1; there is shown a bottom slider s'whic'hhas'been advanced'byaction of the, transfer cam 22 011 the slider butt-2d to propel the-corresponding needle 3 to-an extent surlicient for it to "be-received by the opposed empty-slider 5 in the top cylinder-2. 'As will beseen; the back edge of the leadingendof the, advanced slider disin engagement'wit-h' the lug l onthe adiacent'sinker S as'a consequence ofwhich the slider is. deflected woutwards to liberate thebottom hook-of-the nee- 'dle, thereby enabling the .-latter.-to= -be retracted into the top; cylinder. Similarly, .in Figure :2; the "top slider-5 has'been sufiiciently'advanced by one 10f the top transfer cams to enable the needles to be received by the bottom slider-4, the adjacent sinker fhavingbeen previously positioned inthe manner. hereinbefore described to effect outward --defiection of the top slider. Figure Bindicates the "relative disposition-of the needles-and associated sliders and-sinkers when transfersof needles are not'takingplace.

The-bottom'transf er cam: 22. is afixedonewhich functions-in conjunctionavith. a patterning wheel --(not-shown), the butts 24/- of..selected .bottom sliders being acted :upon and raised by: the .cam -22, -while-the= remaining butts -25 ..pass .idly beneath this cam.

I As' described in the Patentv .No. 2,366,405 .the needles 3- are equipped with latches. 2d and .the upper and-lower edges of the lug 1 on eachsinker 6' are chamieredor. bevelled so. as toprovide thin latchopening. edges suitable to be presented between .the hooks and latchesof needles with closed .latches :as said needles are advanced, say, for instance, ior transference, .or for. clearing after knitting or for restoration to a normal position after casting oil. In association with the topsinker cam ring .12, at the location 19 where opening of 'needlellatches'for .any of. the purposes mentioned is to be effected, 'therefis provideda movably mounted spring-controlled cam part 21 been advancedlby a transfer cam to.

plete the deflection.

.tinguishing feature of the or/and theelemen s.

,or mitred edge swhich require ;liberate the;needle s, the controlling means may be adapted to-efiect correspondingly less projecought to be explained that this figure is a developedyiew of the cam systems and the top and "bottom-sinker cams of the machine, as viewed ill). :the' ildirec-tion of the arrow B in Figure 1, and withiithe'rcylinder l, the sinker brass I'D and thesinkercup i3 removed for the sake of clarity,

appreciated, the important dispresent improvement or individual sinkers are Thus, as will be modification is that the caused .to ..dwell..in .contradistinction .to .being moved seriatim at atransier location as described in. the parent specification.

.The extent .-to which the, elements project-in relation tothe sliders-when theyldwell, may .depend on the character .of theneedles and sliders j For. instance, in the case of ,sliders with hookilike clutches an appreciable amount .of. deflection .is required to liberate the needles. Accordingly the controlling ,means may be designedso that the projection of the;dwelling elements .in relationto sliders actuated. for transferring is such that with elements or/and sliders furnished with formations notof critical dimensionsthe whole of the ,outward'defiection of the sliders is eifected in consequence of the projective positioning of-the elements. Alternatively the leading ends of1the slidersmay be enlarged or the dimensions of the said formations may be increased, with commensurate decrease of theprojective positioning of --the dwellin elements. Again, with sliders furnished with angular clutches-i. e. clutches ha ng oppositely bevelled less'deflection to tive positioning of the elements, without increase of the dimensions ofthe formationson the said elements or/and the companion sliders, since in that case the-hooks of the needles, if only partially liberated'act on the sliders, when engaged with and pulled endwise by the opposite sliders, to cam the partially deflected sliders outwards to com- Further, as regards sinkers or web holders employed also as defiectoraand with needles of the character having a pronounced middle bulge or bend, it is desirable, if not essential, to impart relieving movement to the sinkers or web holders after they have performed their normaliunctions at a knitting lo- .,cation,. torelieve the strain on the loopson the needles at a. tran s fer location inorder to avoid bursting of the saidloopslas they passrover the middle bulge-,orubend. Qonsequently advantage may -betaken .of, this relieving movement to; positary. rib needle ,cylinder, doubled-ended, needles for op rati in a d y inder sl f r .o e a ing the needleameans at. respectively difierent locations for efiecting'transference of needles from one cylinder to the other, a circular series of curved holding down sinkers each furnished with an operating butt and having a lateral projection on one side of its operative end for action upon companion sliders, and sinker cam rings providing between them a track for the butts, the said rings being so shaped as to provide in the track, in addition to the usual deviation which moves the sinkers for web holding purposes, a straight portion extending uniformly through the transfer locations in a plane by virtue of which the sinkers are caused to dwell in a position at which they automatically engage those sliders actuated to transfer their needles for the purpose of causing outward deflection of the said sliders to liberate them from the said associated needles.

2. In a knitting machine, in combination, two opposed needle beds, double-ended needles for operation in said beds, sliders for operating the needles, means at respectively different locations for eflecting transference of needles from one bed to the other, a series of individualy movable elements for cooperation with sliders during a needle transfer action, each of said elements being furnished with an operating butt and having at its operative end a formation for action upon companion sliders, and cam parts providing between them a track for the operating butts, the said parts being so shaped as to provide in the track a straight portion extending uniformly through the transfer locations in a plane by virtue of which the elements are caused to dwell in a position at which they automatically engage those sliders actuated to transfer their needles for the purpose of causing outward deflection of the sliders to liberate them from the said associated needles.

3. In a knitting machine, in combination, a rotary plain needle cylinder, a superimposed rotary rib needle cylinder, double-ended latch needles for operation in said cylinders, sliders for operating the needles, means at respectively different locations for effecting transference of needles form one cylinder to the other, a circular series of curved holding down sinkers each furnished with an operating butt and having a lat eral projection on one side of its operative end for action upon companion sliders, and sinker cam rings providing between them a track for the butts, the said rings being so shaped as to provide in the track, in addition to the usual deviation which moves the sinkers for web holding purposes, a straight portion extending uniformly through the transfer locations in a plane by virtue of which the sinkers are caused to dwell in a position at which they automatically engage those sliders actuated to transfer their needles for the purpose of causing outward deflection of the said sliders to liberate them from the said associated needles, the aforesaid lateral projections being also so formed as to present latch opening edges to needles in both cylinders, in the path of the needle latches at a location where closed latches are to be opened when needles are advanced, so that by reason of such advance appropriate latches are brought into engagement with the opposing edges and consequently opened.

4. In a knitting machine, in combination, a rotary plain needle cylinder, a superimposed rotary rib needle cylinder, double-ended latch needles for operation in said cylinders, sliders for operating the needles, means at respectively different locations for effecting transference of needles from one cylinder to the other, a circular series of curved holding-down sinkers each furnished with an operating butt and having a lateral projection on one side of its operative end for direct contact with the back edges of the companion sliders, the said lateral projections being also so formed as to present latch opening edges to needles in both cylinders, in the path of the needle latches at a location where closed latches are to be opened when needles are advanced, sinker cam rings providing between them a track for the butts, the said rings being so shaped as to provide in the track, in addition to the usual deviation which moves the sinkers for web holding purposes, a straight portion extending uniformly through the transfer locations in a plane by virtue of which the sinkers are caused to dwell in a position at which they automatically engage those sliders actuated to transfer their needles for the purpose of causing outward deflection of the said sliders to liberate them from the said associated needles, and a part which is associated with the sinker cam rings and yieldingly mounted so that any element acted upon by a needle hook will push on said part and cause it to yield, for the purpose herein specified.

HENRY HAROLD HOLMES. ALBERT HENRY WIDDOWSON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Holmes et al, Jan. 2, 1945 Number 

